Grace Church
Thursday, August 17, 2023
Thursday, August 17, 2023

The Way of the Cross

Tuesday, January 5

Read

Psalm 110, Proverbs 22:1-9, Luke 6:27-31 (NLT)

A psalm of David.

The Lord said to my Lord,
    “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
    making them a footstool under your feet.”

The Lord will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem;
    you will rule over your enemies.
When you go to war,
    your people will serve you willingly.
You are arrayed in holy garments,
    and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.

The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
    “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you.
    He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.
He will punish the nations
    and fill their lands with corpses;
    he will shatter heads over the whole earth.
But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way.
    He will be victorious.

Choose a good reputation over great riches;
    being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.

The rich and poor have this in common:
    The Lord made them both.

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
    The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

True humility and fear of the Lord
    lead to riches, honor, and long life.

Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road;
    whoever values life will avoid it.

Direct your children onto the right path,
    and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Just as the rich rule the poor,
    so the borrower is servant to the lender.

Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster,
    and their reign of terror will come to an end.

Blessed are those who are generous,
    because they feed the poor.

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The Forgiving Prince (p.76)

Meditate

But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. (Luke 6:27)


Pray

Lord Jesus, you alone are the righteous Judge. We praise you for your love displayed on the cross. Though we sinned against you and made ourselves your enemies, you looked upon us with mercy and grace. Forgive us for being slow to forgive those who have sinned against us. Enable us by Your Spirit to embrace the way of the cross and to do good to those who hurt us. In your name we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

Sing

Hear the Call of the Kingdom

*Copyright laws prohibit us from posting the lyrics here, so please click on the title above!

Watch below or on YouTube!

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupHear The Call Of The Kingdom (Live) · Keith & Kristyn GettyLive At The Gospel Coalition℗ 2013 Getty Music Label, ...

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Thursday, December 31

Read

Psalm 92 (NLT)

A psalm. A song to be sung on the Sabbath Day.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to sing praises to the Most High.
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
    your faithfulness in the evening,
accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, a harp,
    and the melody of a lyre.

You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
    I sing for joy because of what you have done.
O Lord, what great works you do!
    And how deep are your thoughts.
Only a simpleton would not know,
    and only a fool would not understand this:
Though the wicked sprout like weeds
    and evildoers flourish,
    they will be destroyed forever.

But you, O Lord, will be exalted forever.
Your enemies, Lord, will surely perish;
    all evildoers will be scattered.
But you have made me as strong as a wild ox.
    You have anointed me with the finest oil.
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
    my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents.
But the godly will flourish like palm trees
    and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.
    They flourish in the courts of our God.
Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
    they will remain vital and green.
They will declare, “The Lord is just!
    He is my rock!
    There is no evil in him!”

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
Going Home (p.318)

Meditate

Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” (John 21:22)

Pray

O God, my loving Father and wise King, how mighty are your works and inscrutable Your ways. You are worthy of my trust. I praise You for crushing my Enemy and triumphing over my evil through the work of Your Son. In him I have received every spiritual blessing and flourish like a tree planted by streams of living water. Forgive me for my envious and covetous spirit which turns my eyes away from your grace. Enable me by Your Spirit to follow you wherever you may lead. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Sing

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken

*Copyright laws prohibit us from posting the lyrics here, so please click on the title above!

Listen below or on YouTube!

Provided to YouTube by TuneCoreJesus I My Cross Have Taken [Andrew Osenga] · Indelible Grace MusicPilgrim Days: Indelible Grace II℗ 2008 Indelible Grace Musi...

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Saturday, December 26

Read

Acts 6:8-7:2a, 51-60 (NLT)

Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.

So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.

The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.

Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?”

This was Stephen’s reply:

“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”

The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
A Dark Night in the Garden (p.294)

Meditate

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” (Matthew 23:37)

Pray

Lord Jesus, your name is above every name. You have conquered the grave and been seated at the right hand of the Father. You hold all authority in heaven and on earth and are worthy of our praise. We thank you for sustaining the first martyr Stephen and for preserving his testimony for us. Be with your people persecuted around the globe. Enable us by Your Spirit to support them and to bear witness to the Gospel even in the midst of hardship. May our hope be so rooted in your kingship and our hearts so rooted in love that we too might pray for those who persecute us. In your name we pray. Amen.

Sing

Isaiah 58

*Copyright laws prohibit us from posting the lyrics here.

Watch below or on YouTube!

Lyrics by Kate Bluett - https://katebluett.home.blogMusic by Keiko Ying - https://keikoeying.wixsite.com/websiteCry out, oh prophets: cry, and do not spare t...

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